Apple reportedly plans two more NY retail locations

The United States Mortgage and Trust Company building at 940 Madison Ave.
Google

A big expansion of Apple's presence in the Big Apple is apparently in the works, with new retail stores expected to open in the new World Trade Center and a nearly century-old bank building uptown.

The iPhone maker is among dozens of retailers negotiating leases in a two-level, oval-shaped shopping gallery in a new WTC complex dubbed the Oculus, according to New York real estate site The Real Deal. Like Apple's flagship store on Fifth Avenue, one of four retail locations the company has opened in Manhattan, the new store will be located underground, the site reported.

However, Apple seems to have objected to the inclusion of a "spiny, ethereal-looking" structure designed by noted architect and sculptor Santiago Calatrava that is intended to be the centerpiece of the 365,000-square-foot, multi-level mall. Specifically Apple, along with other retailers, was put off by rib-like columns in front of the stores. Apple applied for a design variance but was denied, sources told The Real Deal.

Apple is also planning to open another retail location at a former bank building on the Upper East Side at 940 Madison Ave., according to IfoAppleStore. Construction planning has already begun to transform the late English Renaissance building, a 1922 structure that features a neo-Classical façade and a 95-foot storefront, sources tell IfoAppleStore.

Besides its prominent location, the building features plenty of interior space appeals to Apple, the site reported, including a 4,000-foot ground floor, a 4,000-foot basement, and a 1,000-foot mezzanine. The site is expected to open next year.

CNET has contacted Apple for more information and will update this report when we learn more.